Knob clamp having detachable facing member



Get. 9, 1956 J. HATALA Filed Oct. 7, 1955 JOHN HA TALA INVENTIOR.

his A TTOR/VZ') KNOB CLAMP HAVING DETACHABLE FACING MEMBER John Hatala, Flushing, N. Y.

Application October 7, 1955", Serial No. 539,098

3 Claims. (Cl. 74553) This invention pertains to knobs attachable to shafts, such as the control shafts of instruments. It is particularly concerned with a novel and improved form of knob for this purpose. My knob is of a practical nature and construction, whereby it provides many advantages not found in conventional knobs. It is, because of its structure, of special advantage for use with cylindrical shafts.

A feature of the knob of the present invention is a body member in the form of a clamp, where by such structure the knob can be mounted fast to a cylindrical shaft without possibility of slipping, turning or otherwise loosening on the shaft.

A further feature of the knob is a detachable facing member, associated with the body member in such manner as to substantially conceal the latter from view.

A particular advantage of combining in a knob means for clamping the knob to a shaft, together with a detachable facing member, is that one or the other of these members may be replaced, when required, without affecting the other. The detachable nature of the facing member is of decided advantage, in that it can be replaced by other facing members of different configuration. The facing member serves not only as an ornament to the knob and as a means of manually turning the latter, but may also serve as a reference indicator.

An object of this invention is, therefore, to provide a knob that is attachable to a shaft, and is characterized by a clamp for fastening the knob to the shaft, and is further characterized by a facing member substantially concealing the clamp to its rear and detachably united thereto.

A further object of this invention is to provide for a shaft, a knob having a detachable indicator member.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a knob that may be clamped fast to a cylindrical shaft in such manner as not to slip, pull off, or otherwise loosen thereon, and includes a replaceable indicator facing member.

The invention further lies in the particular construction and component parts of the knob, as Well as in their cooperative association with one another to effect the purposes intended.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of the detailed description which follows, taken together with the accompanying drawings wherein an embodiment of the invention is illustrated. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for purposes of illustration and description and are not to be construed as defining the limits of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of a knob embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a further exploded view;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the assembled knob; and

Fig. 4 shows the facing member as having characteristics of an indicator.

nite States Patent In the drawings, wherein like parts are identified by the same reference characters, there is disclosed a clamp member 1 forming the inner portion of the knob. This member is provided with a cylindrical axial hole 2 which is adapted to closely accommodate a cylindrical shaft 3. The latter may be a control shaft of an electronic instrument, or other device. Hole 2 is slotted, as at 4, to the outside through one end of the body of the clamp member. Aligned holes 5 and 6 are provided respectively through the ears 7 and 8 defined by the slot 4. Screw means 9, passable through hole 5 in ear 7 and threadedly engageable in the hole in ear 8, serves, when tightened, to draw the ears toward one another to effect, as a consequence, a reduction in the diameter of the axial hole 2 and a clamping action upon any shaft 3 received therein.

The material of which the clamp member is formed is preferably slightly resilient. Plastics materials are desirable for this purpose. The resilient property of the plastic not only permits the ear elements to be drawn toward one another, but also causes the wall of the axial hole to grip about the shaft. The bond of the knob to the shaft becomes such, that the knob will not pull off, slide, slip, or otherwise loosen on the shaft. It is to be noted, that to effect this fast and immovable attachment of knob and shaft, the latter is not required, as in the case of conventional knobs, to be flattened, made oval, splined, threaded, or otherwise deformed.

The portion of the clamp indicated by the breakaway lines 10 is so shown to make it clear that this end of the clamp may take any of a variety of forms. It may be rounded, squared, or may be of such other configuration as desired.

Here, it is intended that the clamp member serve not only to bind the knob to the shaft, but that it also serve as a support for a facing member. The facing member, indicated at 11, fronts the clamp member in substantially parallel relation thereto. It serves to cover over and conceal the clamp member behind it. To effect the latter end, the facing member is preferably of the same, or larger dimensions than the clamp member.

The facing member, depending upon the instrument which it serves, may be suitably ornamented, and it may take a variety of configurations. It may serve as a reference indicator for cooperation with a dial face, or other fixed reference mark of an associated instrument. As an indicator, it may assume any of a variety of forms such as a pointer, a finger, or the like, or may be appropriately marked. Because of the various configurations which the facing member may assume, it is here shown (Figs. 1, 2) as plain and broken away at one end, as at 12. The latter end may be extended or formed as desired to suit ones fancy. Fig. 4 is an example of a configuration which the facing member may take. In this form it may well serve as an indicator.

The facing member is detachably united (Fig. 3) to the clamp member. The means uniting these members, includes a tongue 14 projecting from the inner face of the facing member, and a flange 15 offset inwardly from an edge of the facing member. Tongue 14 is received in slot 4 between the ear elements. It has a hole 16 aligned with the screw holes of the ear elements. Flange 15' overlaps the ear 7 and has a hole 17 therein aligned with the ear holes. Screw 9 freely passed, in order through holes 17, 5, and 16, threadedly engages the hole in ear 8, and thereby, holds the clamp and facing members together. The facing member is formed preferably of material similar to that of the clamp member, though it may well be formed of other materials. The slot 4 between ears 7, 8 is Wide enough to freely accommodate tongue member 14, so that when screw 9 is tightened, after a shaft has been received in the axial hole of the clamp member, the ears may be drawn toward opposite faces of the Patented Oct. 9, 1956 tongue sufficiently to effect a clamping action about the shaft, as before described. To prevent play in the opposite end of the facing member, a screw 18 passed through a hole 19 in the body of the clamp member threadedly engages in an aligned hole 20 in the inner face of the facing member. Tightening of this screw further secures the two members together.

By the foregoing arrangement of the facing member with the clamp member, it can readily be seen how one may be easily detached from the other, and replaced by a clamp or facing member of other configuration.

While an embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be expressly understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Various changes may be made in the design and arrange ment of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as the same will now be understood by those skilled in the art; and it is my intent, therefore, to claim the invention not only in the form shown and described, but also in all such forms and modifications as can reasonably be construed to be within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A control knob comprising a body member of resilient material having an axial hole therethrough, said body comprising a pair of ear elements defined by a slot extending through one end of the body member to the hole, screw means for drawing the ears resiliently toward one another, a facing member covering over a face of the body member adjacent one end of the hole, and means detachably holding the facing member to the body member.

2. The knob as set forth in claim 1, wherein the means for holding the facing member to the body member comprises a tongue in the facing member receivable between the ears of the body member, and removable fastening means engaging the tongue to the ears.

3. The knob as set forth in claim 1, wherein the means for holding the facing member to the body member comprises a tongue in the facing member freely receivable in the slot between the ears of the body member, screw means engaging the tongue and the ears, and further screw means passed through a hole in the body of the clamp member and engaging an aligned hole in the inner face of the facing member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 836,706 Richards Nov. 27, 1906 924,463 Hofmann June 8, 1909 1,420,295 Tait June 20, 1922 1,427,798 Feeney Sept. 5, 1922 1,523,305 Spiro Jan. 13, 1925 

